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14 Jul 2014

Lena Hall and Neil Patrick Harris

Photo by Joan Marcus

Neil Patrick Harris, currently starring in the Tony Award-winning musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, jokingly, and in character as the transgender glam rocker, spit water on an audience member during the July 10 performance, the New York Post reports.

While playing Hedwig, Harris often interacts with audience members. The Post reports that Harris asked a woman in the audience if she were drunk, and she waved her arms in the air. After scolding the woman for taking photos, Harris as Hedwig said, "I hate you" and told the audience she was sitting in seat 3A.

As part of the act, Harris was supposed to spit water into the audience, but he spat directly on the woman.

"There is always an element of audience interaction in each show, and it is all in character," press representatives for the show said in a statement.

The Broadway premiere of the cult rock musical began previews March 29 at the Belasco Theatre, prior to an official opening April 22. Harris, who won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Hedwig, will continue with the production through Aug. 17; Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys) will star in the musical beginning Aug. 20. He is contracted for eight weeks.

Hedwig features a book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. The landmark 1998 musical stars Harris as the titular Hedwig, a transgender singer fronting a fictional rock-n-roll band. Lena Hall, who recently starred as Nicola in Broadway's Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots and is also the lead singer of rock band The Deafening, co-stars with Harris as Yitzhak.

Harris and Hall won the Tony Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a musical, respectively. Kevin Adams also won the Tony for Best Lighting Design. The production won Best Revival of a Musical.

Harris has performed on Broadway in Assassins and in the New York Philharmonic production of Company. He has been honored with four Emmy Awards: three for his acclaimed hosting of the Tony Awards and another for his guest-starring role on "Glee." He also served as host and producer of the 61st and 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The dramatic musical comedy began Off Off-Broadway at Westbeth and then ran over two years at the Jane Street Theatre beginning in February 1998. Hedwig and the Angry Inch won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, and both John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask won Obies. Hedwig and the Angry Inch won a 1998 New York Magazine Award and Entertainment Weekly's "Soundtrack of the Year" Award.